'Prima gli italiani!' Change and continuity on the Italian far right: the Lega and Fratelli d'Italia

The far right has become a major political actor in Italy. In this light, this paper focusses on three issues: first, it shows that far-right political alternatives have been around for some time, and highlights the reasons behind their electoral growth; second, the Lega Nord’s Le Pen-ist turn is analysed, along with the process by which Fratelli d'Italia was formed, following the neo-fascist tradition of the Movimento Sociale Italiano; and finally, the two parties’ ideological and policy proposals are examined, showing both the changes and continuities with their origins.